Game apparatus

ABSTRACT

Sailing game apparatus comprising a board which portrays a waterway, model boats, each having a rotatable mast, a sail connected to said mast, a simulated wind direction indicator, a rotatable keel plate, and a gear system for adjusting said indicator and said plate in response to rotation of said mast. The board is provided with a network of horizontal, vertical and diagonal grooves, each comprising three subgrooves for receiving said keel plate in vertical or inclined position.

United States Patent Thatcher [451 Apr. 18,1972

[s41 GAME APPARATUS [72] Inventor: Irvine L. Thatcher, Greenleaves, Marldon Road, Northowram, Halifax, England [22] Filed: May 22, 1970 [21] App]. No.: 39,607

[52] US. Cl. ..273/134 G, 46/93, 273/137 AB [51] Int. Cl. ..A63f 3/02 [58] Field oiSearch ..273/131, 134

[56] References Cited U N IT ED STATES PATENTS 603,539 5/1898 Pycroft ..273/131 BA 866,447 9/1907 Falkenberg.... ....273/l34 AC Powers ..273/134 AD FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 495,506 8/1953 Canada ..273/134 8,374 1894 Great Britain.. ..273/134 Primary Examiner-Delbert B. Lowe Attomey-Abraham A. Safiitz [57] ABSTRACT Sailing game apparatus comprising a board which portrays a waterway, model boats; each having a rotatable mast, a sail connected to said mast, a simulated wind direction indicator, a rotatable keel plate, and a gear system for adjusting said indicator and said plate in response to rotation of said mast. The board is provided with a network of horizontal, vertical and diagonal grooves, each comprising three subgrooves for receiving said keel plate in vertical or inclined position.

1 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures PATENTEDAPR 18 I972 SHEET 1 [IF 2 PATENTEDAPR 18 1972 3.656.758

SHEET 2 0f 2 mws/vroe IRVINE mummcs 'mA'rcnnR GAME APPARATUS This invention relates to game apparatus and has for its object to provide a new or improved board game which will have both amusement properties combining skill and change and educational properties for teaching the theory of sailing.

According .to the invention, the apparatus comprises a board, (hereinafter termed the water) and a plurality of model sailing boats complete with a sail or sails and with a keel or center board by means of which theboat is guided relative to the water, means being provided which will point to the direction of the wind relative to the setting of the sail or sails at all times on the boat, a.tiller being provided and geared to react according to the movement of thesails.

Inorder that the invention may be clearly understood and readily carried into effect, the same will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary plan view showing part of the board, i.e., water;

FIG. 2 is a sectional elevation along section line lI-Il of FIG. 1;

FIGS. 3 and 4 are side and plan views respectively. of a boat having suitable mechanism for controlling the center board or keel of the boat, the wind indicator and the rudder relative to the mast.

Referring to the drawings, the apparatus comprises the following.

THE WATER The game is played on a board of plastic or other material which may be cut or molded consisting of a flat member into which grooves have been cut or moulded in the following arrangement:

l. A series of horizontal grooves 1.

2. A series of vertical grooves 2 forming with the grooves 1 a series of squares.

3. A series of diagonal grooves 3 at 45 to the sides of each square and crossing in the center of each square.

4. At the point where any groove joins another, a square aperture is formed to the depth of the grooves. Each groove comprises three subgrooves, one vertical and two oppositely inclined to the vertical, as shown in FIG. 2.

THE BOATS (FIGS. 3 AND 4) These consist of a hull 6, a mast 7 with main sail 8 and boom, a jib 9, and a center-board or keel 10 (FIG. 3). The position of the mast 7 with fixed main sail Sgovems the position of the jib 9 pivoted to the main mast 7 at its upper end,

1 and it may be rotated to the correct sailing position of the sails for travelling in a particular direction of the board. Suitable mechanism is provided to position the various parts-all worked by rotating the mast 7.

The preferred mechanism is shown in FIG. 3 and consists of a deck 11 of metal, plastic or other suitable rigid material, together with a sub-plate 12 mounted and fixed sufficiently far apart to allow the rotation of gear trains therebetween as will be described. The main mast 7 has gear pinions l3, l4, and 15 attached thereto. Pinion 13 engages an intermediary pinion 16 which meshes with a pinion 17 attached to the jib 9, whilst the pinion 15 has a projection 18 which engages the shaft 19 which tilts the keel 10, carried on the shaft 19, against the action of the spring 20. The pinion l4 meshes with a further pinion 21 which, in turn, engages a pinion 22 in a 2:1 ratio. The pinion 22 has a shaft fixed thereto which projects above the deck 11 and actuates a wind indicator 23. Engaged with the pinion 22 is a further pinion 24 which actuates a tiller or rudder 25 in' a slot 26 in the deck 11. The spring 20 is so applied that the keel 10 is at all times biased towards a vertical position relative to the hull 6.

Rotation of the main mast 7 causes the center-board or keel 10 to alternate between a vertical position and an angular position according to where the projection 18 lies relative to the shaft 19.

ACCESSORIES (NOT SHOWN) Workingmodels of the Clubhouse with means for displaying the various flags :wouldbe provided, and also the shore of the lake or water would be in evidence.

A BOAT PARK WOULD BE ARRANGED Marker-Buoys wouldbe numbered and suspended over the water at variouspositions, justabove the board, so that the .board forming the water could'be rotated to simulate varia- METHOD OF PLAY 1. Appoint Officer of the Day. He will act as referee and starter,. etc.

2. Draw lots for starting positions.

3. Use dice for number of moves which may be made, i.e., to progress the boats over the board from square to square.

4. Five minutes gun or flagv determines the first throw. Each player throws during the 5 minutes preceding the start of the race and moves his boat in front of the starting line. At the starting flag the players make for the starting line as in conventional racing. Any player who is across the starting line at the gun must return and recross the line.

The Officer of, theDay must throw a die in turn with each player after the start of the race. A card will only be drawn if a player throws an incorrect number, i.e., under or over a predetermined number. Ifhe throws a predetermined number, he must take a card from the Officers pack. If a wind change is indicated he will move the board accordingly. The Officers pack will contain various instructions to give interest to the game, and will consist of as many cards as desired.

During the race various rules must be observed. These are taken from the rules governing all sailing races as laid down by the R.Y.A. For example, a boat close hauled on a starboard tack has right of way over a boat on port tack; the boat which has to give way must go about to the next square. Or if one boat overlaps another, it has right of way and therefore would gain an extra throw. Various other rules may be provided for right of way round the buoys, etc.

If one boat fouls another, i.e., lands on the same square other than on a starboard tack, the helm must pick a card 0 from the Players pack.

The Players pack will contain such instructions as Retire from race, or Capsize, etc.

If a Capsize card is taken the player must lose a predetermined number of throws, or progression.

If any other rule is broken, the Oflicer of the Day" shall determine-the penalty, i.e., take a card from Players pack or retire from race, etc.

The game provides for the following moves during progression:

Going about.

Gybing.

Rounding the marks.

Windshifts and also force of wind, i.e., fast game or slow game, detemiined by the number of throws allowed each player.

This could be included in Ofiicers pack.

A wind indicator may be rotatably mounted on the board so that varying wind changes may be indicatedwith the result that changes in sailing may be indicated to the boats.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for playing a sailing game comprising, in combination:

a board formed with a series of communicating vertical grooves, horizontal grooves, and diagonal grooves, these forming a rectilinear network of pathways in the vertical, horizontal and diagonal directions, each groove comprising a vertical subgroove and two oppositely inclined subgrooves on opposite sides of the vertical subgroove;

a plurality of model sailing boats, each of said boats having a 5 sin hull, a mast, a main sail connected to said mast, a movable simulated wind direction indicator, and a rotatable keel plate, said plate being positioned and dimensioned to 

1. Apparatus for playing a sailing game comprising, in combination: a board formed with a series of communicating vertical grooves, horizontal grooves, and diagonal grooves, these forming a rectilinear network of pathways in the vertical, horizontal and diagonal directions, each groove comprising a vertical subgroove and two oppositely inclined subgrooves on opposite sides of the vertical subgroove; a plurality of model sailing boats, each of said boats having a hull, a mast, a main sail connected to said mast, a movable simulated wind direction indicator, and a rotatable keel plate, said plate being positioned and dimensioned to fit in and be guided by any one of said subgrooves; means mounting said mast and main sail in rotatable relation relative to said hull means to permit positioning said mast and main sail at an angle to match the simulated direction of the wind; and means for rotating said keel plate and indicator in response to rotation of said mast. 